Solid Fuel Guide

Burning solid fuel in appliances such as open fires and boilers is a cost-effective of heating your house. And for many people out there it is the only viable option if they do not have a gas supply and with electric storage heating being rather expensive. Burning solid fuel for heating water, raising temperatures and cooking food is nothing new of course. There are still countless homes in the UK with an original fire and chimney setup. While the need for a chimney has diminished, in theory at least, people now find the idea of an open fire an attractive proposition.

You will find different sorts of solid fuel to buy in our online shop from smokeless and non-smokeless, to manufactured and naturally-occurring. The solid fuel (coal) that everyone thinks of is what is known as traditional house coal, which is non-smokeless lumps that were traditionally delivered in sacks by the coal merchant to your bunker. There are different sizes and grades available: huge great chunks, medium sized lumps and small pieces that can be easily handled. Aside from traditional coal there is also anthracite which is sold typically in three grades, in much smaller pieces. It’s a denser, harder solid fuel that has taken longer to form and thus contains more carbon than traditional coal. A naturally smokeless fuel it is used in gravity-fed boilers.

If you live in a smoke-controlled area then smokeless solid fuel is the one you need to go for. In addition to Anthracite there is coal that has been manufactured to some degree using a chemical process. The net result is that it burns longer and so gives you a greater degree of efficiency in heat production. It needs to be used correctly and regularly to become significantly more cost-effective than traditional coal, there is a greater initial cost in buying a sack of manufactured smokeless coal but the longer-term costs should be recognised.

We have a good range of solid fuel to choose from in our online shop at www.nationalcoal.co.uk, so why not have a look?